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E 

in ojj:y TC^'NrjKlP 

3EPK? nOUHTY 
'hile in '■Jai:ip ne&r • .>r;rovu - 

Kir^ntf fiin^ry n»nnty 
:.iylv)BniR 

c!f,y^ , -' - '.]5 - 1777. 

An addresti by 

T?«rent - BerXB n aunty Ch<^.pter 
HanoTQry-Viow-Prcsilent-Gcnersa 

v^^i:'- • .jsay - Girl'fs hxf;::: :"Ghool - 

' 3alinp: 
F«^bru8r\ - :')9. -n*-. '- - 

"^«. Gh inf^ t <»n ' s It irier r- ri e .s . 



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Author 
6 My '09 



dBMMHMMMMKMMMM 



THE READING HERALD 

Established 1881. 

WILLIAM McCORMICK.. Editor and Proprietor 

, HERALET BUILDING, 13 N. BTH ST. 




READING, PA., FEBRUARY 22, 1909. 




G.W. 
VISITED US 



HE CAMPED NEAR BY 



2t^//^?>^ 



AND DROPPED IN UPON US ONCE 
IN A WHILE— MRS. KEIM TELLS 
WHAT SHE LEARNED ABOUT 
HIM DOWN THE OLEY TOWN- 
SHIP WAY— SOME NEW LIGHT. 



At the Washington Birthday celebra- 
tion at the Girls' High School today 
Mrs; DeB. R. Keim made this excel- 
lent address: 

The day we celebrate is the one hun- 
dred and seventy-eighth anniversary of 
the birth of George Washington on his 
father's plantation in Westmoreland 
CoUnty, at George's Creek, a tributary 
of the lower Potomac River, on the Vir- 
ginia side, about 80 miles below the 
magnificent capital of the republic 
which today commemorates his name 
and public services. A handsome mon- ' 
ument erected by Congress marks the 
place of his birth. 

The story of Washington's boyhood, 
youth and manhood is, or should be, 
known to every American, old or young. 
He was 45 years of age when ma- 
noeuvring his army up the eastern side 
of the Schuylkill River after the unfav- 
orable turn - of the battle on the 
Brandywinejpind preceding the drawn 
conflict at Germantown.Ofc^c(& ^^77* 

It was during this interval of stfa- 
tegic operations that Washington is 
known to have been In camn from SeOt. 



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>^. to j^6, 1777, in Pottsgrove township, 
^out four miles southeast of now 
Pottstown, Montgomery County, about 
live miles from^ the oounty line of . 
Berks, eight or nine rimSs from Oley 
Valley and about 20 miles below Read-^ | 
\ng. JHI 



.'> 



2 



On September 19, General '''ayliin-^t^^n m n letter 
to the Presilrnt of th« Oantinentgl C!«n^ress merit i«n« 
»ncbv r^passin^ the SohuylTcill ^.t pRr'^^r's fnr^ f ^3 
Tiilf*s b^lfliw R<!?ading ) witli the laam 0013^ -u tne 
::!Q»ntinental Army. 

A.S so'^n ao crossel, in an h«ur «r t7r<», thoia.rh i.ef?p 
gnd rapid, I shall march them as expeditiaiiuly at-, 
passible tararlj:; Patland, Swedes and «th«r fords 
?rhere the enemy Till mo'c-t prabably cress". 

The men Trere 771 th out blankets mostly bare- 
foot «*4^?^nd ?7ith»ut f<iod. O^in?^ to the severe rains 
the Army d^. separated from its b8^p;&r:e, -^nd supply 
train, paT^der '^et and all in a mast deplorable 
3cindition. 

"^ashin.p-tan marched his exhausted tr^<^ps "as far 
as "Reading: furnace «0^ drench ereelv for security 
Ep:£inst the enemy". 






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At '^^ar^icl: IXirnaoe, also .on Fr«noh creek, 
N. part of Chester Creel: Oaunty, he propased t& refit. 



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Freiio?! Crejslc enters tlie SohuylXill at Phrsenixvillf 
he British still on the Jig^t side ^f the Schuyilcill i 



moved fr(»iri "Tiite librae Tavern d'3»'?7n tho rar.d, ta 
^77ed«' s Fard. 

washin^ftan hevin;?: craasei threw his entire farce, 
shattered ^xi:> it 'vas, »n their fr<int. 

On September 20, P.M. the American Army i:)ral<:e 
camp and marched >^, to the Trappe-iM<»nt,«»'9mery C*.- 
10 miles ^.N."^. ©f Narristowi^ .'^ miles frsm na^f 
0^11ep;e Sta tion. -^^^/^^^/^ 4^ ^^^-^ ^'"^^^'>^ 

on September 21, A.M. it encamped within 4 miles 
«f P«tts^r«ve (P«ttsto7>Ti). The advance of the British 
'"'' 1. then at ?r«nc]i '*?"'---'^' , ^^ t^^^ '''f-r+ ^i-^'^ '>f jbhe 




3 c huy IV ill, ma r cli in <^ r ap i dl y t o Ta r 1 c R ea d i ^\ ^- 

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" tMs induced ne to believe thry he-l tTTe •bjects i 

vieT, one ta '^ot graunl the rij^ht nf ray erray, the 

'"th^r tn detach ps.rtics to Jl^BAln^, '^'hr-^re v.>! have 

f 

cansiderable utoreB, To frustrate thdkie intentions 

A *^^ 

r.:evFd the /iriny >w%>n this side of the rive:!j,tf> this 

ii.£:Gri (nesr P»tts?rrc»ve) i'-itennined tcj heep p^c-; vrit 
thp:r". T'h'"- '^*-'^n<^r8l mentioned 1000 r-f his men "h"'-!^''^" 

berefeoted . Arndn'^ th<3 '"-iyhin^tr^n M?inuscript5in thif 

L.ihrary of Conj^rrecs 1;; ?3 l-^'ttnr deted 3ept. ,^I,I777 

>,..r.T» '^etlcnd Ford an Schuyr-^ill. 

On thp ni?rht ^f September 2^, '^ashinrt^n h.^d 

.^ Ivices thrt the British cr»ssel the Schuyrf.iJ.1 ??.t 



beloY/ v&lley For ,-5:6.) 



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On this S9ine dete b manuscri'-^t lette/ exists^^ 



'in/'^j,brsr^'' "-f n.'>-n«:ress T.Titten in cmnp P.P. mile 3 fro 
Philadelphie on the F^adin* Raal. 






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On the ssrne ley he Trote tf> n?%lf!tnel 
^rnilton r^f hiti ^taff unleiib re/ittt i : • ;;•';... ^ ii^^u 
■-^;o on Tith thw campaign ^hioh v/mill ^e the ruin r>f 
^•"■e Army if not /unerica", ani. ordere'l him te proocf 
■ -nee to Philaldlphiia ijecure ej.^ fciup};ij.r t-j h^^ coiU 



1 ind ?>nd r<^m«ve horses fr(^hi the city. 

On September ^3, "'aLihiJigton ^btpin<^'i '^.f^fir.lt^ 

:iforin8ti»n"thet the enemy TSid a^n the Ib^^i^t {;i';ie ci 

e SorhuylKill hevin«y crossed 3eptemb??r 22, at Fnt- 

-nd end r.thr»r n^'^T f»rdsi*>^ movin.'?; to'.'rerd Philf}. 

A Itrtl' t.r:ly -^"^ :: '"Titt<-n iiin "'^^u 

oohuyll'ill, Z4 miles from Phil!n.(24 nil^^s from 
Peadinr"). On thiL^ isy at his "camp nv^ar Pottsryr^v^" 
''^ni^ninciei, '-r. - eiso ijifnrmr-d that OfungTesu had ad- 
journed Sept. IP., an the approach rf the British, 
tr!^??rd Philadelphia to Lancastf^r, There it met 
September 27. 



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The t>aine lay it adjournecl tcj YorK cjh the 
'^ect £5ii.e of tlie RusQuehf^nn^i, ^ihfive it met September 
iO. Tere Oonrre^itj. rem-9inei;uiiLii the British 
5V8.cu?ted PhilB'i.elTohis the fallowin.'r MBy. 

After ?? cmmcil t^f "'rr it '"^c decilei.'^to move the 
Arj;!y t'JTraria Philal^iphi? '-•n -3t3pt ember .24, 'ixrectin.«: 



t'> f<irm 9 junoti'^n 'NltY^jfnntlnf^Aitel fnroedord'^red 
from PfteT'sT<:.ili^ alone th;^ Hudtjon p.vA. S(?rne i*^p U?^'? 



Jersey militia. The pickets 8dvr:nce'l on ti'^^.t day 

^''sshin.-^ton ddid nr»t inrtve head auBrtors iud<»:in,«' frmri a 

K 

letter written by him, Is ted ^ept. ;3G, 1777 iji cemp 
near Potts.<*;rove. 

A Bee and letter ^ Is ted in "Camp an the ^ohuyl- 
Kill 54 nil«a from Philadelphia" (Esct of PsrKerfard) 
fchov.'b hib loc5?5tirjn esme nip'ht. 

In ihis letter ta General Putnam he referij tcs the 
British Genersl Fowe, marching' hi.^h u]) the Schuyl'' .. - 
to turn <>r fle-nh him, but yuda^-niy countermarched fo:; 
PhilBdelphie . 



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"^ ^FlEAD ING HIS MAIN DEPOT. 
Fi^ffl*Tmr»«p«"i««t Washingrton covered 
the most ; feasible routes of direction 
toward the rich townships of now 
Douglass, Colebrookdale, Earl and 
Oley in southeastern Berks, and his 
main depot at Reading, besides being 
In strategic position to give battle in 
case the British should attempt to cap- 
ture that town. 

The vital importance of Reading is 
shown by the fact that in retiring from 
the field on the Brandj'wine Washing- 
ton pointed his column to Parkerford, 
where he placed the Schuylkill betwen , 
himself and Lord Howe in pursuit. 

The two armies took up a race 
toward Reading on parallel lines, j 
Washington holding himself prepared 1 
to defend the place and its valuable 
stores to the last extremity. 

Beyond an artillery duel from hills 
near Phoenixville and opposite with 
the Hver between. Lord Howe made no 
attempt to cross and attack. 

Evidently conscious of the peril of 
getting too far out of reach of a safe 
defensive and the danger of having 
his communication interrupted, the 
British general suddenly counter- 
marched over his outv/ard route, 
crossed the Schuylkill near Norristown 
and advanced toward Philadelphia, 
which he occupied Sept. 26, the da>^ 

! Washington broke camp near the Berks 

I line ahd resumed the offensive. 

; ^ m TOUC H WITH SUPPLIES. 
liuring th"^|^ive days spent recupel*- 

I ating and refitting his somewhat dls- 

j organized and exhausted troops In 
Pottsgrove township, Washington was 
naturally In constant touch with his 
main depot distant but a single day's 
haul. The most direct route for his 

I wagon trains to reach that point was 



// 



^iladelphia, his Oley headquarters 
I would be not over 35 or 40 miles distant 
by main highway. 

VALLEY FORGE WAS NEARER. 

After the indecisive battle of Ger- 
mantown, owing to the proximity of 
White Marsh to the British outposts. 
Washing-ton concluded to retire to Val- 
ley Forge instead of Oley, the latter be- 
ing too remote for harassing the enemy 
by sudden movements. The former 
lY^^^ -iJistant enough against surprise and to- 
'pographically easily defended, he con- 
sidered possessing better advantages of 
position. For this reason Valley Forge 
bordering the fighting zone, instead of 
Oley Valley and abundance, was chosen 
during the winter of 1777-78. 

It would not be carrying inference too 
far to suppose Washington to have 
made a reconnoissance toward, if not 
into Reading. Although such an event 
would, in all probability, have been 
chronicled in some way by the towns- 
people as to Reading, although left to 
the uncertainty of tradition by country 
folks as to Oley. Among several of 
the old families of Oley the presence 
of foraging parties from Washington's 
camp at Valley Forge has been handed 
down in well defined forms. Thei-e is 
also documentary evidence to the same 
effect. This shows that Oley town- 
ship was a region of expeditions from 
Washington's army at Valley Forge/ 
not over one camp distant. 

This appears from a letter written 
in January, 1778, by John Lesher, iron 
master of Oley, to the Executive Coun- 
citl. It manifests, however, a spirit of 
patriotic resignation. The writer re- 
fers to "a number of Continental 
troops and wagons taking eight tons 
of hay, destroying apples sufficient to 
make 10 hogsheads of cider, eating up 
his pasture, burning fences, etc.," and 
himself "purchasing two beeves at one 
shilling per pound to answer their im- 
mediate want of provisions." 

SUPPLIED ARMY WITH FOOD. 
He continues: "At several other 
times I have supplied detachments ot 
the' army with provisions." He men- 



/I- 



tidns a party of foragers "taking 14 | 
hea^ of cattle and 4 swine, which was j 
all' he had for the workmen for carry- [ 
Ing onf' his Sron works, especially as ' 
there was great call for iron for public 1 
use." ! 

His complaint was of the forcible ' 
and wasteful methods employed "when!( 
the sti'ongest exertions of economy and ■ 
frugality ought to toe practiced by ail ■ 
ranks of men, thereby the better to 
enable us to repel the designs of a i 
daring enemy who are now in our j 
land." As a remedy he suggested the 
"appointment of judiciou.s men in any 
township to apportion the demands ac- 
cording to the circum.«tances of every 
farmer and general benefit of the 
whole." 

During the years of Trenton, Prince- 
ton, Brandywine, Germantown, Valley 
Forge and preparations for the pursiuit 
of the British, culminating in their de- 
feat at Monmouth in June, 1778, Berks 
County was an important center of 
suifply and Reading of stores. 

In a letter of date but three days 
( before Washington encamped near the 
Berks line, when the third and fourth 
classes of militia of Berks were called 
into service incident to the forward 
movernent toward Philadelphia, the 
statement is .^ made by Col. Morgan: 
"There is atVpresent a great quantity 
of powder and other stores belonging 
to the states in this town (Reading) 
and .there are two companies now of 
said classes mounting guard over said 
,stores." 

FEARS FOR POWDER STORES. 

The quantity of powder was so great 
that fears were entertained in event of 
fire it would "tear the town to pieces 
and destroy the whole body of inhab- 
itants." 

It is a matter of interesting record 
that Washington did pass a night in 
Reading during his presidency on his 
way from Philadelphia, then the capi- 
tal, to Carlisle, to inspect the army 
fin rendezvous preparatory to its 
march to the scene of riot in Western 
Pennsylvaniajl^ 

On this occasion a .parade and pass- 



t^h 



ing review were had on Penn Square 

and Peter Nagle, a hero of the Rev6- 

, lution, known to Washington, gave a 

reception in his honor at his residence 

j on North 5th street, which stood on 

I the now vacant lot on the south side 

of the post office building, owned by 

|john H. Keim from about 1842 to 1855, 

and later by J. Lawrence Getz, one of 

: Reading's noted editors and memberl 

j of the National House of Representa- 

{ lives of the 40th, 41st and 42d Con- 

! gresses, where he was highly respected 

I and an honor to his constituents. 

Another interesting incident asso- 
' ciated with one of Reading's citizens I 
I was the presence of Captain Peter | 
Nagle, with his eldest daughter, Kliza- '^ 
beth, at a reception in Philadelphia \ 
\ given by President Washington. 
ASSOCIATIONS OF WASHINGTON. 
There can be no plausible ground of 
objection to the County of Berks add- 
ing to the numerous interesting asso- 
t ciations of the Revolutionary struggle 
and her contributions to its success, 
the well sustained inference that Gen- 
eral Washington visited^Oley Valley 
between Sept. 21 and 25^1777, prior 
to advancing toward the British at 
Philadelphia. Also that he received 
large supplies of cannon, shot, mus- 
kets, .powder, medical supplies, blan- 
kets, etc., from Reading, and flour, 
meat and forage from the county. Dur- 
ing the British occupation of Philadel- 
phia prominent families took refuge 
at Reading. 

The provincial treasure was also 
carried there for safety. It was also 
visited in passing between the New 
England States and military po.sts on 
the Hudson to York, where Congress 
was sitting, by the most distinguished 
patriots in civil life, and the Conti- 
nental army. 

The Berks County Chapter, there- 
fore, represents one of the most inter- 
esting regions of hallowed memories 
in the War of Independence in the 
Middle States of the glorious Thirteen. 




- 



■ ■"■*=.. 



' '^^^ . 



tH 



NO. 6 WINS 

IT'S MISS STROHECKER 



AND SHE GETS BEAUTIFUL GOLD 
EMBLEM— MISS BRANE IS GIVEN 
HONORABLE MENTION— D. A. R. 
HOLDS ANNUAL CONTEST FOR 



STUDENTS OF 




The D' A. R. prize at the 
S'ehool this morning: was wcJn toy Helen 
Strohecker, No. 6. It was a beautiful 
gold emblem with conventionalized 
rays centering in blue enamel. 

Grace Brane, who was No. 5, receiv- 
ed honorable mention. 

Today was the one gi-eat day at the 
Girls' High School, the annual D. A. R. 
exercises honoring the great American, 
George Washington. 

A SYMPHONY OF COLOR. 

Nothing had been left undone to 
make the celebration complete in ^ 
every particular by the society, and, | 
assisted by the efficient committee ap- ' 
pointed by Miiss Mayer, the principal, 
from the senior class, had everything 
in readiness for the exercises when ! 
they began at 2 this afternoon. 

The whole building was a symphony 
in patriotic colors. 

A large picture of Washington was 
hung at the front of the platform and 
draiped with the blue field of the flag. 
An American flag stood guard at each 



side. A large American flag was ' 

draped in the arch over the platform. 

CLASS PENNANTS DRAPED. 

Behind all of the pictures and overi 
the statuary and friezes were draped? 
and arranged still other flags and 
bunting. Class pennants of the class 
of 1909 were also shown at prominent 
places. ' 

Large flags stood in each comer* 
Bunting was arraJiged along the bal-'i 
cony, the railing of the stairways and; 
over the blackboard. ^ 

Ushers had been assigned to the' 
various floors of the building and theyi 
seated the people very satisfactorily. ' 

The A, B and C classes were seated" 
on the main floors, while D class sat 
on the balcony. The visitors wero 
seated in the two sections on the south 
side of the room and on the west side 
of the balcony, where chairs had been 
arranged. 

The speakers of the day sat on the 
platform with Miss Mayer. 

The exercises opened with a prayer 
by Rev. L. M. Erdman. Three de- 
lightful musical numbers followed, 
given as only our girls of the High 
School can give them. 

The school sang the "Slumber Song," 
Miss Mary A. Wisler played "Taran- 
telle" on the piano and the choir sang 
"Waltz Song." 
MR. KEPPELMAN MAKES SPEECH. 

John A. Keppelman was then intro- 
duced. He had a splendid address. 

Miss Miriam A. Baker sang a beau» 
tiful solo, "Three Green Bonnets," and 
also '*L.ife." 

Miss Lottie Kantner also sang "The 
*Lrrow and the Song" in fini.shed style. 

Then Mns. Keim, the chapter re- 
gent, made the address. She gave the 
usual bright account of D. A. R. work 
in Reading. Mrs. Keim is hon- 
orary vice president general of the na- 
tional society and spoke with her usual 
grace. Her address appears elsewhere.. 

The exercises ended with the audi-J 
ence singing "America." J 



/i 



yr 



PBffZES WON 
BY ESSAYIST 



MISS HELKN STROHECKER RE- 
CFJIVES MEDAL FROM D. A. R. AND 
GRACE BRANE HONORABLE 




inVhe "Girls High school, under th</au- 
spioes of the Daughters of the American 
Revolution, was attended by an audi- 
ence which completely filled the large 
assembly room. Clai^ses A, B. and C 
were seated in the main auditorium and 
Class D occupied the balcony. Two 
sections on the south side of the large 
room were reserved for the visitors. In 
the aisles were placed camp chau- for 
the accommcdation of other visitors. 
It was the time of the awarding of the 
$10 gold modal in the essay contest be- 
tween members of Class A. These were 
the contestants: Misses Margaret Miller. 
Grace Brane, Mary Saylor. Elizabeth 
Hartman, Helen Fritch, Edith Hafer. 
HPlen Strohecker. The prize was won 
bv Miss Strohecker and Miss Brane re- 
ceived honorable mention. "The Hess- 
ians of the American Revolution," was 
the sub.iect treated. _ 

Flags and bunting vx'ere used m the 
tasteful decorations, while a large por- 
trait of Washington in a framework of 
flags and greens, occupied a conspicious 
place on the platform. Members of the 
senior class se!V..d as us^liers. On the 
platform, with the principal. Miss Mary 
A. Mayer, were seated Mrs. deB. Ran- 
dolph Keim, regent of the D. A. R., and 
the committee of judges— George W. 
Wagner, Rev. Lee M. Erdman, John A. 
Kcppelman. 

The exercises opened promptly at - 
o'clock, with prayer by the Rev. Mr. 
Erdman, pastor of the St. Thomas Re- 
formed church. The "Slumber Song" 
jwas excellently rendered by the school, 
under the direction of Miss Lizzie I. 
McGowan. This was foUov/ed by a piano 
solo, "Tarantelle," by Miss Mary A. 
Wisler, after which the "Waltz Song" 
was rendered by the girls choir, com- 
posed of i!5 voices. 

MR. KEPPELMAN SPEAKS. 
John Arthur Keppelman. Esq., the 
speaker of the afternoon, was attentiVe^- 
ly listened to and heartily applauded 
He said, among other things: 

"It mav- not be altogether gratifying 
to women to have the virtues and the 
achievements of men forever thrust up- 
on them, indeed, concurrently with the 
igrowing tendency of the daughters of 
lEve to consider themselves— and just- 
ily so in many ways— the equals of tne 
sons of Adani, it Is inevitable that they 
tehould assert, with a sense of righteous 
indignation, that they, too, have a class 
fof the great, their O'Wii heroines 



"It is qilite natural, therefore, that 

?L%ea« o? «-e"^ wonmn. not cm. 
an appreciation of t c ceieDrity 
self but a feel ng cf pride that s^k- 
ff ab^e to point"to the achievement 
Of some woman, which to her at least, 

may be translated into terms of equiva- 

'""In'^'taSny' this attitude, however 
do women really understand w-hat 
they are celebrating when they join 
ill the praises of a great man? Let 
mo here remind you that it is a par- 
ticular kind of great man which is 
being celebrated today. 

"Roughly speaking, there are two 
kinds of great men. ^h-se who are 
recognized as great because of their 
ability to accomplish large results, 
regardless of the methods adopted 
in <!uch ^complishment; men who 
have injected into their work no char- 
acter in the moral sense, neither hon- 
esty honor or principle, but who have 
everlastingly acted upon the single be-, 
lief that the end justifies the means, i 
Conspicious in this class are Caesar and ' 
Napoleon. 

THE BETTER CLASS. 
"This class has nothing whatever in 
common with that other splendid 
and exemplary class of which Wash- 
higton and Lincoln, are to all Ameri- 
cans the acknowledged leaders. To 
this latter class character is everything, 
achievement disassociated from charac- 
ter nothing. To the members of this 
class lionor and honesty are ends in 
themselves and not merely means to 
an end As was well expressed by 
a recent President of the United States: 
•I would rather be right than be Presi- 
dent ' they do not set before themselves 
a o-oal which with unyielding resolution 
they strive to attain at all and every 
liazard: they are fundamentally and 
everlastingly honest and they go wher- 
e'^er the strict exercise of that virtue 
may bear them. It is this latter kind 
of "great men whose birthday is being 
celebrated today, Washington was pre- 
eminently a man of character. 

"Do women really understand then 
to what they are paying homage when 
they laud the man of character? Do 
they really appreciate w^hat a tremen- 
[ dously important part they themselves 
have played in the building of that char- 
acter and the preparation of it for law 
and endui'ing action? Do they really< 
grasp the fact, and a vital fact it is, 
that their contribution to the man of 
character is his lofty moral tone, whicli, 
at bottom, is the very . character itself? 
My friends, character is not found 
ready-made. It is neither purchasable > 
nor easily acquired. It is a structure of *• 
brick, upon brick, which by assistance 
and restraint, encouragement, discour-j 
agement and forceful disciphne, is grad-l 
iiaally molded into a form capable and' 
^tted, £or active accompUshinent BuJS. 



/^ 



who, my friends, does the buildteff'. 
i Surely not the man himself. To be sure 
in some rare instances men have been 
so much the masters of their own fate 
as to be able to make themselves in 
spite of extraneous influences. 

"But not so, my friends, with the 
man of character. He is inevitably 
the product of his times and the" at- 
mosphere in which he was trained. 

A TRIBUTE TO WOMEN. 

"It is women, my friends, who do the 
building. It is women, and women; 
alone, who give moral tone to men, who 
keep them lodged in paths of lofty 
moral purposes. Take, for instance, the 
character of "Washington, distinctive for 
its inflexible resolution, inspiring moral 
ideals, unconciuerable determination, 
patient self-restraint, untiring applica- 
tion and proportionate and just self-es- 
teem. Whence came a character of such 
construction? It is simple to find an 
answer when we look at the two splen- 
did women in his life, his motlier, Mary, 
and his wife, Martha. The former, un- 
usual in her adherence to a strict stand- 
ard of honor, industrious to a high de- 
gree, far from well educated because of 
lack of opportunity, but with excep- 
tional vigor of intellect, strength of res- 
olution and of Inflexible firmness wher- 
ever principle was concerned. Could any 
woman have been better equipped for 
parental government and guidance, so 
'admirably adapted, to the training of 
the youthful mind to wisdom and vir- 
tue? The iatter, a woman of unusual 
loveliness and charm of character, in 
which were joined those amiable quali- 
ties and Christian virtues which best 
adorn and become women, and a gentle 
dignity which inspired respect, and in 
her later life even reverence. She was 
unostentatious and magnanimous, and, 
above all, like the mother, in that she 
was devoted to matters of principle for 
their own sake. It was from tliese 
sources that Washington first learned, 
and afterward ^laintained that high 
standard of Christian character, which 
not only equipped him for a successful 
establishment of the cause of political 
'-quality and individual liberty, but 
vhich has afforded the highest type of 
lattern for the national character here- 
fter. 

"Do you, my friends, fully understand 
"■hat I mean? By no means do I wish 



you 10 interpret my meanmg as oeing 
! anything so low as that the grand func- 
tion of women is a mere assistance to 
the development of the character of 
men. I mean that in celebrating the 
anniversary of the man of character you 
should remember that such a man is 
I alike the embodiment of the highest 
ideals of men and the loftiest aspira- 
tions of women, and that if in the na- 
ture of things it does not fall to the 
lot of women to step so prominently 
into the' life of action, their sphere of 
influence, the quiet and patient devel- 
opment of noble character in men, is a 
thing which should be forcibly magni- 
fied in any celebration of the achieve- 
ments of that character." 

THE WINNER ANNOUNCED. 

Miss Miriana Baker sang very effect- 
ively "Three Gi-een Bonnets" and "Life." 
A vocal solo, entitled "The Arrow and 
the Song," was rendered by Miss Lot- 
tie M. Kantner, accompanied by Miss 
Grace Barbey. 

George W. Wagner, acting as chair- 
man of the judges, announced that Miss 
Helen Strohecker had won the medal, 
which was handed to her by Mrs. Keim. 
Miss Grace Brane was given honorable 
mention. Miss Helen Fritch, one of the 
contestants, was unable to be present, 
owing to illness. Mr. Wagner stated 
that all the essays were worthy of com- 
mendation. 

Miss Strohecker is a daughter of Mr. 
and Mrs. Edwin B. Strohecker, 39 North 
Ninth street. 

Miss Brane is a daughter of Rev. Dr. 
and Mrs. C. I. B. Brane, 519 North Ninth 
street. 

Mrs. Keim, the Regent, delivered an 
interesting address on "General Wash- 
ington in Berks County." It was an ex- 
cellent effort and closely foUov/ed by 
the audience. 

i 'The exercises closed by the singing 
of "America," the audience standing 
during the rendition of the last stanza, 

WASHINGTON IN BERKS. 

In presenting the medai to the sue- I 

' cessful essayist, Mrs. Keim read an in- i 

teresting paper on "General Washing- 

Iton in Berks County." She said, in tne 

course of her address: 






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$10 FOR MEMORIAL HALL 

At Saturday's tneefm^ ^' ti^e :^rks 
County Chapter, D. A. R., th/re ii^^re 44 
members present and there were many 
interesting features. 

The music was unusually fine. The 
Haage quintet sang charming German 
songs. The quintet is composed of: 
George D. Haage, August Bischoff, 
Robert Bischoff, Leon Bettig and Ed- 
ward Schumann. 

The chapter voted $10 to be given to 
Memorial Continental Hall fund at the 
time of the dedication. Each state will 
give a sum of money at that time. 

The papers of Mrs. H. A. Acker, who 
is to became a member of the chapter, 
i were passed upon. The resignation of 
Mrs. William Purdy, because of re- 
moval to. another city, was received. 

The refreshments were appropriate 
to Washington's Birthday. There was 
a cherry in the centre of each ice and 
stand tart hatchets were served. 



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